Ursula Ratasepp (born 17 June 1982) is an

Estonia Estonia, officially the Republic of Estonia, is a country in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea across from Sweden, to the south by Latvia, and to the east by Ru ...

n stage, film and television actress.

Early life and education

Ursula Ratasepp was born in

Tallinn Tallinn is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Estonia, most populous city of Estonia. Situated on a Tallinn Bay, bay in north Estonia, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland of the Baltic Sea, it has a population of (as of 2025) and ...

in 1982. She is the older sister of actress Katariina Ratasepp (born 1986). She studied drama at the Vanalinnastuudio until 2001, then studied psychology at the

University of Tartu The University of Tartu (UT; ; ) is a public research university located in the city of Tartu, Estonia. It is the national university of Estonia. It is also the largest and oldest university in the country.

until 2002. She then enrolled at the EMA Higher Drama School (now, the

Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre The Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre (''Eesti Muusika- ja Teatriakadeemia'') began as a mixed choir of the Estonia Society Musical Department (EMD) on the eve of World War I. The assembly of the Estonia Society created the Tallinn Higher Musi ...

) in Tallinn, graduating in 2006. Among her graduating classmates were Inga Salurand, Risto Kübar, Mari-Liis Lill, Laura Peterson, Lauri Lagle, Britta Vahur, and Sergo Vares. In 2014, she received her bachelor's degree in psychology from the

Stage career

Following her graduation from the EMA Higher Drama School in 2006, Ratasepp became engaged as a stage actress at the

Tallinn City Theatre Tallinn City Theatre () is a repertory theatre located in the medieval old town of Tallinn, Estonia Estonia, officially the Republic of Estonia, is a country in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from ...

, where she is still currently employed. She made her stage debut at the theatre in a small role in the Jaan Tätte-penned ''Kaev'' the year she joined the theatre. Some of her more memorable roles at the Tallinn City Theatre include those in works by such authors and playwrights as

Luigi Pirandello Luigi Pirandello (; ; 28 June 1867 – 10 December 1936) was an Italians, Italian dramatist, novelist, poet, and short story writer whose greatest contributions were his plays. He was awarded the 1934 Nobel Prize in Literature "for his bold and ...

William Butler Yeats William Butler Yeats (, 13 June 186528 January 1939), popularly known as W. B. Yeats, was an Irish poet, dramatist, writer, and literary critic who was one of the foremost figures of 20th century in literature, 20th-century literature. He was ...

, Nicholas Wright, A. H. Tammsaare, Carlo Gozzi, and J. B. Priestley. Ratasepp has also performed at various other theatres throughout Estonia, including the Estonian Drama Theatre in Tallinn, the Theatre NO99 in Tallinn, the Endla Theatre in

Pärnu Pärnu () is the fourth-largest city in Estonia. Situated in southwest Estonia, Pärnu is located south of the Estonian capital, Tallinn, and west of Estonia's second-largest city, Tartu. The city sits off the coast of Pärnu Bay, an inlet of ...

, and the

Tartu Tartu is the second largest city in Estonia after Tallinn. Tartu has a population of 97,759 (as of 2024). It is southeast of Tallinn and 245 kilometres (152 miles) northeast of Riga, Latvia. Tartu lies on the Emajõgi river, which connects the ...

Summer Theatre.

Film and television

Ratasepp made her television debut as Kaisa on the TV3 television drama series ''Kodu keset linna'' in 2005, a character she would play until leaving the series in 2006. From 2006 until 2007, she appeared in several episodes of the Eesti Televisioon (ETV) crime drama series '' Ohtlik lend'' in the role of Kaja. In 2010, she played the role of the Prime Minister's secretary in the ETV political satire series ''Riigimehed''. She has also appeared on several episodes of the popular TV3 comedy-crime series '' Kättemaksukontor''. In 2016, she joined the cast of the popular Kanal 2 crime series ''Siberi võmm'' as the character Eeva Lindeman. In 2017, she a played a central role of Brita in the Kanal 2 drama-mystery series ''Nukumaja'', and in 2020, she appeared as the character Rita Laikmaa on the ETV drama series ''Reetur''. In 2024, she began appearing in the role of Kadri in the Ergo Kuld directed TV3 drama ''Valetamisklubi''. Ratasepp made her film debut as a voice extra in the feature-length Heiki Ernits- and Janno Põldma-directed 2006 animated children's film '' Leiutajateküla Lotte'' (English: ''Lotte from Gadgetville''). In 2013, she had a starring role as the title character Kertu in the

Ilmar Raag Ilmar Raag (born 21 May 1968 in Kuressaare) is an Estonian media executive, actor, screenwriter and film director, best known for his socio-critical film '' The Class''. He was CEO of Estonian Television from 2002 to 2005. He is a well known ...

-directed romantic-drama '' Kertu'', opposite actor

Mait Malmsten Mait Malmsten (born 6 September 1972 in Viljandi) is an Estonian actor. Malmsten comes from a family of actors. His father is actor Rein Malmsten. His paternal grandparents were actors Franz Malmsten and Eva Meil. His great-uncle was actor Hugo M ...

. The film was retitled ''Love Is Blind'' in English-language markets. In 2011, she appeared as a nurse in the Mart Kivastik-directed drama '' Üks mu sõber''. In 2015, she had another starring role as Kadri in the

Klaus Härö Klaus Härö (; born 31 March 1971 in Porvoo, Finland) is a Finnish film director. In 2004, he won Finland's State Prize for Art. Härö grew up in a Swedish-speaking Finnish family. He studied directing and attended screen writing seminars at ...

-directed period drama '' Vehkleja'' (English: ''The Fencer''), which was adapted from the life story of Endel Nelis, and co-stars Märt Avandi as a fencer and instructor wanted by the Soviet

secret police image:Putin-Stasi-Ausweis.png, 300px, Vladimir Putin's secret police identity card, issued by the East German Stasi while he was working as a Soviet KGB liaison officer from 1985 to 1989. Both organizations used similar forms of repression. Secre ...

who eventually has to make a life-altering decision. ''Vehkleja'' won several awards, including Best Film at Finland's 2016 Jussi Awards, and was nominated for Best Motion Picture at the

73rd Golden Globe Awards The 73rd Golden Globe Awards honored the best in 2015 in film, film and 2015 in American television, American television of 2015. It was broadcast live on January 10, 2016, from The Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California beginning at 5:00&n ...

in 2016.

Personal life

Ursula Ratasepp (Ratasepp-Oja) married then an Estonian Theatre Festival CEO, theatre manager and director, now a deputy mayor of Tallinn, Kaarel Oja in 2010. The couple have three children: a daughter Elo-Mirt (2009), a son Jaakob Eik (2011) and another son Laurits (2016). They currently reside in Tallinn. Her sister is a writer Katariina Ratasepp, her father-in-law is actor Tõnu Oja, as is her brother-in-law Pääru Oja.Õhtuleht
''Paar: Ursula Ratasepp ja Kaarel Oja'' 7 July 2011. Retrieved 4 February 2017.

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Ratasepp, Ursula 1982 births Living people Estonian stage actresses Estonian film actresses Estonian television actresses Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre alumni University of Tartu alumni Actresses from Tallinn 21st-century Estonian actresses